Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hi all,

I've gone through google and forums until my fingers have bled and found nothing of help. In short, I want to make a great looking base for my models. I'm looking to do a arid wasteland / desert sort of look but cants find any tips other than just for a flat, boring base.

I'm wanting to add a big of height to the base so it's an uneven surface and was hoping someone would know what to use to get this effect. Also does anyone know where I can get some scenic pieces like dead trees, animal skeletons etc

cork sheet, broken up and make it look more natural and less industrial; various armies have scenic skulls and such, depend on what you're looking for.

Cork and or Tree bark is an easy way of getting rocky looking outcrops.

super glue it down and pin them if you want to make sure they are sturdy

then back fill the areas you want to be deserty with green stuff or mill put. or you can try crackle paint for a very dry riverbed look.

as for senic parts. you can often use twigs for dead tree parts, and for animal skeletons new gw skull kit has a few random beast skulls, also older fantasy kit has undead horses.

Thanks guys. I was hoping for something a little more special however - like a little mini scenic. A dead villager or one running away kind of thing for the bigger models.

Sumilidon wrote:
Thanks guys. I was hoping for something a little more special however - like a little mini scenic. A dead villager or one running away kind of thing for the bigger models.

Well there are no 2 same treebark in the world. thats pretty special

What exactly are you trying to base for. model and composition wise. is this a gaming piece or a display thing.

 Desubot wrote:

Sumilidon wrote:
Thanks guys. I was hoping for something a little more special however - like a little mini scenic. A dead villager or one running away kind of thing for the bigger models.

Well there are no 2 same treebark in the world. thats pretty special

What exactly are you trying to base for. model and composition wise. is this a gaming piece or a display thing.

Beastclaw army, so lots of big models with big bases. I'm not wanting to do the snow route with them, but would like something more representative of nomads travelling over vast areas, raiding as they go - hence more arid land, animal skeletons etc.

One plan is to have a Stonetusk walking up a slight gradient with a rocky face at the end of it - but that by itself I feel would look just a little boring.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh and I'll be using it for gaming, but with so few models in the army there's no good reason for me to scrimp on the finish

hmm well the bases will probably still need to be some flavor of bark and cork. it does make some of the best rocky outcropings outside of sculpting it by hand with mill put.

then we got and

from secret weapons


from kromlech.

any number of fantasy undead horses and dudes.

get tan grass tufts, twigs and branches for tree parts.

and texture paints from geedubs.

personally if i was doing it id start by super gluing bark nuggets to build out the rocky areas, glue down detail pieces like skeletons, skulls smaller rocks, and dead wood.

back fill with spackle or millput. prime white to make it brighter, then paint the rocks a dark burnt umber, dry brush a little brighter, paint all the bones and details, then paint the sand areas close to graveyard earth, maybe a little darker.

then go over the sand area with algrillen earth from gw. let it crackle then dry brush it with a tan, seal, glue some grass tufts in the cracks and call it a day.

Thanks Desubot. That top right texture paint looks ideal as well.

for big hight difference buy model putty and scupt it however you want.


https://bitsofwar.com/home/101-animal-skulls-bones-.html
https://www.amazon.com/Miniature-Sand-Basing-Base-Kit/dp/B01J1CTXZK